My 26th birthday is on May 4th. What a wild year it has been for us all... It’s been over a year since the world was faced with the COVID-19 pandemic. We have all been affected by it one way or another. Unfortunately, the world is continuing to struggle, and many organizations are being forced to shut down as a result. 

Anyone who knows me has heard me talk about my time in Cape Town, South Africa, working at Inala Mental Health Foundation. It is a non-profit organization that is near and dear to my heart. Inala was a place that fostered not only my professional development but also my personal growth. After working as a facilitator in the Youth Program, I decided to pursue my Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and Wellness at NYU. I am fortunate enough to have been offered the opportunity to continue to work with Inala as their International Ambassador and run their new Alumni Program. We want to support the young men & women we work with long than just two years. However, due to COVID-19, there have been some funding cuts.

Therefore, instead of giving gifts for my birthday, I ask that you please donate to this GoFundMe. The money raised will go towards the Barriers to Trauma Program. Specifically, it will be used to offer more after-school activities to the kids. One of the biggest struggles in Cape Town is that children do not have a place to go after-school, so they end up hanging out on the streets. This can lead to children joining gangs and becoming addicted to drugs. To prevent this, Inala is working to offer the kids an alternative option by creating an afterschool program. This includes weekly hikes, kickboxing classes, cycling club, dance club, and many other fun activities. Inala feeds the participants during all activities. Additionally, they offer food parcels to the families of the kids that they work with. All donations will go towards feeding and running the Barriers To Trauma ~ After School program. 

Please consider donating to this cause! Inala is family. It will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I want to do all I can to support the incredible work that is being done. Any donation is greatly appreciated ✨

Thanks for taking the time to read this post! Feel free to check out Inala's Website: 
https://www.inala.org.za/